title: Updated national multicenter registry on procedural safety of catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite catheter ablation (CA) becoming an accepted treatment option for symptomatic, drug-resistant atrial fibrillation (AF), safety of this procedure continues to be cause for concern. Aim of the present multicenter registry was to assess the incidence of early CA complications and detect their predictors in a contemporary, unselected AF population
  
  
  RESULTS
  From January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011, data from 2,323 consecutive patients who underwent CA (median age 60 [52-67]; 72.3% male) for AF in 29 Italian centers were collected. All major complications occurring to the patient from admission to 30th postprocedural day were recorded. No procedure-related death was observed. Major complications occurred in 94 patients (4.0%): 50 patients (2.2%) suffered vascular access complications; 12 patients (0.5%) developed cardiac tamponade; 14 patients (0.6%) presented with pericarditis; 5 patients (0.2%) had transient ischemic attack; 4 patients had stroke; 3 patients (0.1%) had phrenic nerve paralysis; 3 patients (0.1%) had hemothorax. Other isolated but serious adverse events were documented in 3 patients (0.1%). Female gender (OR 2.643; 95% CI 1.686-4.143; P < 0.0001) and longer procedural duration (OR 2.195; 95% CI 1.388-3.473; P < 0.001) independently predicted a higher risk of complications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Major complications occurred in 4.0% of the CA procedures for AF, with vascular access complications being the most frequent events.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Clinic, Department of Cardiological, Thoracic and Vascular Sciences, University of Padua Medical School.
authors.forename: Emanuele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bertaglia
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stabile
authors.forename: Alessia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pappone
authors.forename: Sakis
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Themistoclakis
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tondo
authors.forename: Valerio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: De Sanctis
authors.forename: Ezio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Soldati
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tritto
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Solimene
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grimaldi
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zoppo
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pandozi
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Augello
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Calò
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pappone
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D061646:Operative Time; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D012042:Registries; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: atrial fibrillation; catheter ablation; complications; pericardial tampenade; phrenic nerve paralysis